Automatic tufting machine



Jan. 12, 1960 E. L. BRQNSTIEN, JR; ET AL 2,920,588

AUTOMATIC TUFTING MACHINE 5 sheets sheet 1 Filed D60. 5. i954 INVHVTORSEDWARD L. BRONS TIN JR. YR/CHARD A. FISHER A 7' TORNEVS Jan. 12, 1960,E. L. BRNSTIEN, JR., ETAL 2,920,588

AUTOMATIC TUFTING MACHINE Filed Dec.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 HOME Q POSITION S R 0 w w w m N E T w m 0 8 L 0 M w EJan. 12, 1960 E. L. BRONSTIEN, JR.. ETAL 2,920,588

AUTOMATIC TUFTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 3, 1954 v 5 Sheets-Sheet aINVENTORS EDWARD L. BRONST/EN JR.

YR/CHARD A. FISHER A fro/wars Jan. 12, 1960 E. L. BRONSTIEN, JR., "ETALI AUTOMATIC TUFTING MACHINE Fil ed Dec. 3. 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IINVENTORS EDWARD L. BRONST/EN JR. By RICHARD A. F/SHER A TTORNEYS Jan.12, 1960 p E. L. BRONSTIEN, JR.. A 2,920,588

AUTOMATIC TUFTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5. 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 w VEN r0RS 50 WA RD 1.. BRONST/EN JR.

RICHARD A. FISHER A TTOR/VEVS United States Patent AUTOMATIC TUFTINGMACHINE Edward L. Bronstien, In, St. Paul, and Richard A. Fisher,Minneapolis, Minn., assignors to The United States Bedding Company, St.Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application December 3, 1954,Serial No. 472,876

17 Claims. (Cl. 112-3) This invention relates to a machine for tuftingmattresses and the like, and relates more particularly to a machine ofthe type described which operates automatically to index the mattressbetween the tufting heads of a tufting machine for making the desiredtufts in the mattress in a predetermined pattern, depending upon thesize of the mattress, and without distortion or unbalancein the finishedstructure.

It is an object of this invention to produce an auto matic tuftingmachine of the type described.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to produce anautomatic mattress tufting machine which, in a sequence of automaticoperations, makes a predetermined number of tufts in a mattress; whichcontinuously operates stepwise through a series of functions forregistering the mattress between the tufting heads of a tufting machinefor making tufts in such predetermined posi- 2,920,588 Patented Jan. 12,1960 Fig. 4 is a front elevational view, partially in section, of

the tufting tables shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the tables shown in Figs. 3 and 4,illustrating the location of the longitudinal cams on the outer table;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the tables with sections broken away toillustrate the driving mechanism;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the camoperated switcharrangement employed with the inner table; 1

Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevational view of the drive mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the pulsing cam andswitch mounted for operation in response to movement of the tuftingheads;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic illustration of the tufting pattern carriedout in the sequence of operations of the machine for tufting a mattressfor a fullsize bed; and

Fig. 11 is an electrical diagram of the circuits for the machine and itscontrols.

Invention herein does not reside in the tufting heads or the operationthereof, separate and apart from the automatic indexing means wherebythe mattress is located in proper position between the tufting heads forthe desired operations. Detailed description of the tufting heads andtheir operation will not be made herein. For full description of suchdevices, reference may be had to conventional tufting machines availableon the market, such as tions, after which the machine automaticallyreturns the indexing members (to home or starting position inpreparation for another sequence of operations for tufting a mattresswhen properly positioned in the machine; which embodies means forloading the machine with a mattress which becomes automatically properlypositioned for the desired indexing operations; which may be adjustedfor effecting tufting operations in a predetermined patterncorresponding to the size of the mattress; which provides for properbalance in the mattress and for uniform tension in the mattress cover;which embodies means for stopping operation of the machine in the eventof a malfunction or in the event that an obstruction is encounteredduring operation; which is capable of conversion to manual control andfor operation to correct any errors, difliculties, or obstructionswithout interrupting the sequence of operations so that the machine canbe returned to the operation where it left off in its tufting cycleafter the malfunction or obstruction has been corrected; whichautomatically indexes the mattress between the tufting heads for eachtufting operation; eliminates the many variables existing in presentsystems of manual control in the tufting of mattresses; which materiallyreduces the amount of labor required and increases the rate ofproduction of tufted mattresses; and which operates entirely byelectrical controls thereby to provide a more durable and accuratesystem for efiicient operation of the tufting machine with a minimumamount of maintenance and upkeep.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention willhereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not oflimitation, an embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view from the rear of atuftin machine embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view taken from the front side of the tuftingmachine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tables employed in the tuftingmachine of Figs. 1 and 2, with sections broken away for betterillustration of the arrangement of various p the United Automatic ButtonTufter of the United Malttress Machinery Company of Quincy,Massachusetts.

Suiiice it to say, that the tufting machine illustrated in the drawingcomprises a frame 10 having an upper goose neck 11 which supports theupper tufting head 12 on the outer end thereof, and a lower sectionextending forwardly from the frame 10 on which the lower tufting head(not shown) is supported in alignment and in spaced relation beneath theupper head 12 for effecting the desired tufting operations on a mattresslocated therebetween.

The spindles of the upper and lower tufting heads of the describedbutton-tufting machine are actuated through suitable mechanism by aself-contained motor located within the frame. Mounted on the side ofthe goose neck 11 for longitudinal displacement in timed relation withthe movement of the spindles is an elongate rod 13 having a cam block 14on an intermediate portion thereof in alignment to engage the endportion of a switch arm 15 extending outwardly in the path thereof froma microswitch 16 fixed to the side of the goose neck. The switch 16 ismade or broken in response to the movement of the spindle in thedirection away from and back to normal position clear of the mattresstherebetween.

Rigid with the frame 10 of the tufting heads, is a table-supportingframe 17 formed of angle irons or other rigid high strength material,including a plurality of spaced-apart upright legs 18, 19, 20, and 21interconnected by cross-brace members 22 and 23 to form a rigidstructure. Secured to the upper ends of the legs to form an integralpart of the frame are a pair of laterally spaced apart rails 24 and 25in the form of elongate angle irons extending in the longitudinaldirection.

An outer table 26 formed of frame members, dimensioned to besubstantially greater in length and width than a standard mattress, issupported on rollers 27 which ride upon the rails 24 and 25 for guidingthe table in free longitudinal movement relative the frame in thedirection indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4 and by the arrow at the topin Fig. 3. The outer table 26 includes a flat panel 26 having a narrowslot 26 extending longitudinally across the panel in alignment with thetufting spindle for passage therethrough. The table is provided withside-boards 28 depending from the outer edges for concealing andprotecting the rails and rollers located 1 Width of the table,intermediate the table and the upper end of the member'29. Spaced ashort distance inwardly from the end members 29, elongate tracks 31 arefixed to the upper surface of the table to extend crosswise thereof forsupport of an inner table 32 having rollers on the underside of the endwall section 34 operable on the tracks 31 for shifting movementindependently crosswise of the outer table 26 in the direction shown bythe arrow to the left in Fig. 3.

The inner table is formed of interconnected sideboards and end walls 33and 34 respectively extending upwardly and spaced one from another by adistance corresponding to the width and length of amattress to provide awell therebetween for receiving a mattress in fitting relation on thepanel of the outer table. The end walls 34 of the inner table extendupright in parallel relation with the walls 29 rigid with the outertable and in side by side relation therewith. The walls are providedwith one or more ribs 35 in position to be received within the grooves30 whereby the inner table is guided in transverse movement relative tothe outer table. The length of the grooves 30 and the disposition of theribs 35 function to control the extent of relative crosswise movementbetween the inner table and the outer table between limit positions,depending upon the length of the grooves and the location of the ribs.

Thus a mattress 36 positioned Within the well formed by the uprightwalls of the inner table can be shifted lengthwise beneath the tuftingheads and crosswise in the direction toward and away from the frame ofthe tufting machine to locate the tufting heads in alignment withdifferent portions of the mattress. It will be understood that thecentral portions of the tables are open to enable the spindles of thetufting heads to engage the mattress from the top and bottom to effectthe desired buttontufting operations.

The improvement embodying the features of this invention resides in themeans for automatically shifting the outer table longitudinally and theinner table crosswise relative thereto, and for controlling themovements of the tables to index the mattress in proper position betweenthe tufting heads whereby the tufting operations are caused to becarried out in a predetermined pattern until the entire mattress hasbeen tufted. Such operations are carried out completely automaticallyfrom start to finish, notwithstanding interruptions for repair for theelimination of obstacles and the like which might interfere with theproper operation of the machine, or other stoppages which occur inresponse to controls by various safety features for protection of themachine or the mattress which is being tufted.

The outer table 26 is adapted to be actuated for movement longitudinallyon rails 24 and 25 and the inner table is actuated for sliding movementtransversely of the outer table on tracks 31 by means of a reversibledriving motor 40 mounted on the underside of the outer table. Thedriving mechanism includes a transmission gear 41 operated from thedrive shaft of the reversible motor and from which driven shafts 42 and43 extend in both directions longitudinally beneath the outer table.

for'attachmentto-a bracket "49 securedito an end portion r 4 of the rail24. Conventional means, such as illustrated by the numeral 50, areprovided for taking up the slack in the cable. The other portion of thecable 47 extends similarly forwardly about a second idler roller 51secured to the underside of the outer table, and then longitudinally inthe opposite direction for attachment to a bracket 52 fixed to the otherend portion of the rail 24. Thus the table will be displacedlongitudinally in one direction or the other in response to turningmovement of the pulley 46 as controlled by the direction of operation ofthe reversible motor 40 and the actuation of the clutch 45 to effectmovement, or the brake 44 to lock the table in position and preventmovement. A similar brake 53 and clutch 54 assembly is provided on theportion of the shaft 43 extending in the other direction from the gearbox 41 for control in movement of the inner table 32. A pulley 55between the clutch 54 and brake 53 is operatively connected by a belt orchain 57 to a driven pulley 56 on an elongate shaft 58 mounted for freerotational movement in bearing members anchored in the end portions ofthe outer table. An endless cable 59 operates between a sheave 60 fixedto one end of the shaft 58 and an idler roller 61 secured to aspaced-apart portion of the outer table. An arm or block 62 fixed to anintermediate portion of the upper flight of the cable 59 operativelyengages a keeper 63 rigidwith the inner table 32 to cause displacementthereof responsive to movement of the cable 59 in one direction or theother.

Fixed, as by welding, to the rear wall of the side plate 28 of the outertable for movement therewith in the longitudinal direction is a camplate 64 in the form of a shelf'having a number of cam members 65adjustably secured to the surface thereof with the tapered cam ends 66extending into the path of a roller 67 on the end of a pivotally mountedswitch arm 68 extending laterally from a microswitch 69 stationarilymounted to the frame supporting the outer table. The cam members 65 arepreferably formed with an elongate crosswise slot 70 through which abolt member 71 extends for securing the cam member in the desiredposition of adjustment on the cam plate. Instead of providing the cammember with a slot for longitudinal adjustment, the cam plate may beconstructed with numerous closely spacedapart slots for flexibility inadjustment of the cam members in the desired laterally spaced-apartrelation.

The number of cam members 65 secured in longitudinal spaced-apartrelation on the cam plate 64 is adapted to correspond to the number ofpositions of longitudinal adjustment for indexing the mattress under thetufting heads and with a similar spaced relation therebetween,asindicated on the tufting diagram of Fig. 10. In addition to thelongitudinal indexing cams, the cam plate 64 is provided with cammembers 72 and 73 at the extreme end portions. These cam membersfunction as safety devices for operation of a microswitch 74 whichfunctions to set the longitudinal brakes of the driving mechanism in theevent that the travel of the outer table is permitted inadvertently tocontinue beyond predetermined positions and which thereby prevents thetable from running 01f the rails.

Similarly, a horizontally disposed cam plate .75 is fixed to the outerwall 34 of the inner table and cam members 76 are similarly secured tothe upper surface thereof in spaced-apart relation with the cam ends 77of the cam members extending outwardly into the path of a switch arm 78of a microswitch 79 which is fixed to the end wall of the outer tablefor movement therewith. The number of cam members secured to thetransverse carn plate 75 corresponds to the number of indexing positionsfor tufts arranged crosswise of a full size mattress, and similar meansof adjusting the loca tion of the cam members are provided forflexibility in indexing the mattress between the tufting heads.

To the present, description has been made to the construction of thetables, their driving mechanism, and

the controls for indexing the tables in the desired positions relativeto the tufting heads. As previously pointed out, the tables are actuatedby the reversible motor 40 which operates continuously during thetufting cycle. When the brakes are set, the tables are locked inposition. In the event that the brakes are open and the clutches remaindisengaged, the tables become free for movement manually in either oftheir directions. When the transverse brake 53 is set and thelongitudinal clutch 45 is engaged with the drive shaft, the table willbe actuated longitudinally by the cable 47 in one direction or theother, depending upon the direction of the driving motor until theclutch 45 is released and the brake 44 is set. Similarly, the transverseclutch 54 will cause transverse movement of the inner table until theclutch is released and the brake 53 is set. Because of the co operativerelationship, the control means are adapted by solenoid operation or thelike to shift from one position to the other to eifect engagement of theclutch and disengagement of the brake, or operation of the brake anddisengagement of the clutch, except for the few instances when theoperating member is shifted to a neutral position for releasing thetable to manual operation, as will hereinafter be pointed out.

The movements of the tables are largely controlled by electrical meanslocated within a control panel 80, including a plurality of steppingswitches 81 which are displaced stepwise responsive to momentaryactuation of the microswitches 69 or 79 upon engagement with the cammembers 65 or 76. Relays are connected to certain of the steppingswitches for operation and to the spindle-pulsing switch 16 foractuation of one or the other of the brakes or clutches to enablemovement of the table in one direction or the other to a desiredindexing position.

Detailed description herein will be made of the elements in theelectrical circuit which are controlling in the various operations ofthe machine rather than to make description of each of the components ofthe electric circuit which would tend to confuse rather than clarify thedescription of the operations of the machine. For purposes of completeidentification of the elements in the electrical circuit, a photostaticcopy of the circuit illustrated in Fig. 11 of the drawing is includedherewith as a part of the specification, in which the various elementsare numbered and the circuit can be traced by reference to suchnumerals, symbols and the like, but these numbers should not be confusedwith the numerals employed in the description of the apparatus asheretofore set forth.

In the electrical diagram, the longitudinally spaced end cams areindicated by the numeral 65 while the numerals 69 indicate themicroswitches operated thereby. The side cams are represented in thediagram by numeral 76 and numeral 79 represents the microswitchesoperated by these cams. The head pulsing cam block is indicated by thenumeral 14 and the numeral 16 indicates the microswitch operatedthereby.

The operation of the controls depends on the pulses originating fromcams 65 and 76 located in positions to operate the microswitches 69 and79. As the microswitches ride over the cam members, pulses are generatedfor a duration somewhat longer than that needed to operate the slowacting relays S and S0 These relays are slug loaded for transmitting apulse of fixed duration regardless of the length of pulse derived fromthe actuating cam. The microswitches are closed only when on a cammember. The head pulsing microswitch 16 is normally closed whenever thespindle or head of the tufting machine is clear of the mattress. Thelatter microswitch generates pulses which feed to relay 50 via relay F.

Relay A functions to accept pulses only when the table is stopped and inposition to receive a button by 6 operation of the tufting head. Thisrelay is closed in advance of the operation of the S0 relay.

Relay B operates whenever the inner table moves in a transversedirection and serves to accept pulses from the microswitch 69 operatedby the end cams 65 via relay X and relay S0 Relay S0 locks in during thewhole tufting cycle and activates the cycle light.

Relay H serves as a brake in the electrical lock of relay S0 This relayfunctions upon completion of the cycle of operations and upon resettingof the stepping relay 1.

Relay V is used to interrupt the pulse line and also to release thebrakes whenever the manual automatic switch is thrown. Relay K forms apart of the expander circuit and serves to transfer both pulse and powerbetween stepper 101 and stepper 105.

Relay K is used to augment operation of relay K. This is a latchingrelay which trips upon operation of relay K and it holds relay K inuntil it receives a release pulse.

Relay I forms the second part of the expansion circuit. With relays Kand L inoperative, the operation of relay I is between stepper 101 andstepper 104. At all other times this relay passes the pulse line andpower to steppers 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105.

Relay J operates for the same reason as relay K The purpose of thisrelay is to insure proper transfers between the steppers so that theywill transfer in sequence from stepper 101, to stepper 102, etc., andthen back to stepper 101.

Relay L is the final part of the pulse and power expander circuit. Withthe relay K and relay I inoperative, relay L transfers between steppers101 and 102 With relay I operative and relay K inoperative, relay Jtransfers between steppers 103 and 104. Relay L is similar in operationto relays J and K The basic operation of the steppers 101, 102, 103, 104and 105 and their stepping coils 5T 8T 8T ST, and 8T is to provide thememory bank which calls ofi the movements of the table. Power is fedinto each of the steppers on a rotor, via expansion relays K, I, L and,as the stepper coil is actuated by the pulses from the cam operatedmicroswitches, power is transmitted from the rotor to certain of thestepper stator contacts and then to the correct relays connectedtherewith to actuate the clutches and brakes and effect other calculatedfunctions. The distribution of power takes place in the stator whereconnections come off of the lug points and go to the final activatingrelays. When the rotor reaches the 25th position of A stepper, the nextstepper in sequence is activated by the action of K, J and L relays. Inchanging to the next stepper, the rotor of the preceding one is moved toposition 26, which is the home position clearing the stepper. There areno taps on position 26 so as to prevent the possibility ofcross-connections.

Steppers 101, 102 and 105 are similar in operation in that power isdelivered to all rotor contacts. In steppers 103 and 104, power ispassed also through relays S and S The reason for this is to provide ameans of cancelling out the last two rows of tufts when it is desired toprocess a mattress for a single size bed as distinguished from a normalmattress for a full size bed. As stepper 103 approaches the last tworows, it cancels out the balance of its steps and power is transferredover to stepper 104 which cancels out approximately one-third of itssteps. At this point, relays S and 8;; open, and normal steppingoperation is resumed. In order to provide sufiicient time for thiscycling operation, the tufting heads are momentarily stopped in theiroperation. The tufting heads are also stopped momentarily while tuftinga standard mattress after button 24, corresponding to position A on thestepper and corresponding to the position 24 on the diagram of Fig. 10in order to give the drive motor time to reverse, and move the table tobutton 25 on Fig. 10.

position 1 in stepper 101.

I head clutch.

Relays S and S operate, as described, to cut out certain steppers whichare not used when the smaller size mattress of a single bed is beingtufted. The pilot light 107 becomes illuminated whenever switch 106 isthrown for such operation, though the relays do not operate untilstepper 103 has cancelled oft" its positions.

Located to the left of each stepper is a pair of contacts used toprovide a home position. These are off normal contacts. This is normallyposition 26 on the stepper diagram. At the start of the tufting cycle,stepper 101 is not on position 26 as in the other steppers. Instead, thetufting cycle is started with the rotor on As soon as the stepper 101proceeds through its operation, it stops at position 26 until stepper105 completes its movement. Stepper 101 is then triggered to the number1 position where it functions to turn oflf the controls in preparationof a new cycle of operation.

Essentially, the operation of the steppers is to cause the final threerelays C, D and E to activate the clutches, brakes and reverse the motorby selecting the correct time position indicated in the diagram by theletters A with the sub-numerals corresponding to the tufting position towhich the table is indexed thereby, as set forth in the diagram of Fig.10.

Relay C controls the longitudinal movement of the table. This relayapplies power to the brake 44 whenever it is not activated and itsupplies power to the clutch 45 when it is activated.

Relay D controls the transverse movement of the table. This relayapplies power to the brake 53 whenever it is not activated and to theclutch 54 when it is activated.

Relay M is an emergency relay. Its function is to interrupt theoperation of relays C and D whenever the thread protector switch (notshown) on the upper and lower tufting heads is tripped or in the eventthat cams 72 and 73 operate microswitch 74 as the table exceeds itsnormal travel in one direction or the other.,

This relay has the feature of an electrical locking circuit that holdsthe relay until the fault has been cleared or corrected. For resettingthe machine to return to automatic operation, it is necessary to actuatethe automatic starting button 108 which interrupts the looking of relayM.

Relay E operates to reverse the driving motor 40. This is accomplishedby reversing two of the three motor phases. Relay E is located on thepower supply panel illustrated in the attached drawing forming a part ofthis specification but it is not indicated in the electrical diagram ofFig. 11.

Relay R is an intermediary relay composed of two identical coilsoperating the same relay contacts. Relay R is tied in with relay M andthe stop positions R on the steppers. It actuates the stopping solenoidon the In the event that relay M operates, the tufting head is turnedofi regardless of any other operation.

Relay N operates the tufting head clutch start solenoid for driving thetufting head at the start of the tufting cycle.

Relay P is used whenever it is desired to return the stepping switchesto home position. The relay is activated whenever the home button 109 isactuated on the pendant control. When relay P closes, power isinterrupted to the stepper rotors and is applied to the G G G and Gcontacts for each stepper.

In the case of stepper 101, power is applied to a special rotor and Gcontact causing stepper 101 to stop at the No. 1 position instead of the26th position. The four latching relays, previously pointed out, arereturned to normal position.

' Relay K serves the function of a delay between the end of steppers 105and 101. This relay also assures This returns all of the steppers to the26th position or home position.

8 that relay K is released when the tufting cycle has been completed.

It is desirable to avoid having a cam near the start of the tuftingoperation and, for this purpose, a special relay is used to serve as asynthetic cam to perform the functions of getting the machine startedand preventing erroneous cross-feeds from one relay to another. Thisrelay comes into use only during the first few steps of the firststepping switch and is returned to its normal position for balance ofthe tufting position.

A pendant (not shown) hangs down over the table within easy reach of theoperator. It is provided with buttons for operation of the controlsincluding a button 110 which is depressed to turn the machine on, an offbutton 111, a cycle starting button 108 and a cycle stopping button 112,a button 109 for returning the steppers and the table to home position,a button 106 which cuts out certain steppers for tufting of mattressesof smaller dimension, a manual button and an automatic button 100. Therelays and the steppers for the control are mounted within the housingand pilot lights are provided in the front panel including a light 113which becomes illuminated when the A.C. current is on, a light 114 forindicating automatic operation, a light 115 for indicating the operationof button 106, and a light (not shown) which is on when the machine ison manual operation.

Operation At the start, a mattress 36 is placed in position on the innertable 32 and the main power switch 110 on the pendant is turned on. Thisstarts the drive motor which continues to operate throughout the tuftingcycle.

The automatic switch in the pendantis then depressed to start thetufting cycle. When the automatic switch is depressed, the longitudinalbrake 44 and the transverse brake 53 become set to lock the tables inthe.

home indexed position. As previously pointed out, the longitudinal brake44 and the longitudinal clutch 45 for controlling the movement of theouter table are thrown in or out by relay C. The transverse brake 53 andthe transverse clutch 54 are controlled through relay D.

To start the tufting cycle, the operator pushes the start button 108 onthe pendant. This operates relay N which, in turn, operates the startsolenoid and throws in the clutch of the tufting head. The tufting headsare then actuated continuously through their cycles of operation tobutton-tuft a section of the mattress disposed therebetween. Theoperation of the tufting head continues uninterrupted throughout theentire cycle of operations for tufting a complete mattress except for ashort period when the clutch of the tufting head is thrown out when therotor is on stepper 24 for a full size mattress or on stepper 18 for asmall size mattress to enable reversal of the motor of the table driveand to enable the table to move in two separate directions. It is therequirement of the indexing means to cause movement of the table fromone indexed position to the other from the time that the tufting headsclear the mattress until the mattress is re-engaged for the next buttontufting operation.

While in home position, the tufting head goes down once and returns tostarting position. During this period, the heads operate in the normalmanner to make a button tuft in the mattress. As the head 12 clears themattress, the cam block 14 on link 13 is displaced to engage microswitch16 which generates a pulse that feeds to relay S0 via relay F andreleases the longitudinal brake 46 and throws in the clutch 45 ascontrolled by the stepping switches. This causes the driving motor 40,through the cable 47 and connections to the'ends of the rail 24, todisplace the table in the direction to the right in Fig. 1 and to theleft in Fig. 6 and in the tufting pattern diagram of Fig. 10. Each timethat the arm 68 of the microswitch 69 rides over a cam 65, a pulse isgenerated which causes the rotor of the stepper 101 or the rotors of theother steppers which are then in operation to advance to the nextstepper contact. Thus the table will travel longitudinally and engagecams which click off the steps until an A contact is reached, such ascontact A wherein the power flows through the rotor to the contact of AThe relay C releases the clutch 45 and sets the transverse brake 44 forlocking the table in the indexed position. These indexing movements areachieved before operation of the tufting head in its next cycle with theresult that the mattress has become indexed in its second position forthe next button tufting operation.

Again, as the tufting head clears the mattress, the cam 14- operatesmicroswitch 16. This operates relay C to release the brake 44 and throwin the longitudinal clutch 45 to effect further table movement in thelongitudinal direction. Similarly, the steppers are clicked off as themicroswitch is engaged by the cam member 65 until the rotor reachesstepper A This releases relay C for re leasing the clutch and settingthe brake to lock the table in position No. 3. By way of explanation, ithas been found that in order to effect uniform tension in the mattresscover and uniform distribution of forces within the mattress, it isdesirable to button tuft a mattress in spaced apart portions in variousrows differing between themselves and the spaced relation between camsand to fill in the space in other rows. Therefore, the number of cammembers provided in the longitudinal and transverse cam plates isadapted to equal the number of tufting positions longitudinally andtransversely but some will be passed by for effecting tufts in one rowbut will be active for indexing the table to effect tufts inintermediate rows for developing the desired pattern. As a result, thesteppers are advanced by cam engagement, but only certain of thesteppers operate to lock the table in the indexed position in one row oftufts while other steppers oper ate to lock the table in indexedpositions corresponding to the other cams in intermediate rows. Thenumerals in the circles in the tufting diagram will correspond to thecam positions in the transverse and longitudinal rows. The numeralsoutside the circles in the tufting diagram indicate the tuftingpositions and they correspond'with the numerals of the operative lugs Ain the steppers. Whenever the stepper rotor reaches an A lug of thatnumber, it is intended that the table will be indexed in thecorresponding position in the mattress diagram.

The sequence of operations described continues until the table reachescam 3 and the rotor has been displaced to stepper A At this point, whenthe tufting head clears the mattress, microswitch 16 operates toactivate relay D and release the transverse brake 53 and throw in theclutch 54. As a consequence, with the longitudinal brake set, the innertable travels crosswise. As the cams 76 engage the microswitch 79, thestepper rotor continues to count off its impulses until it reachesstepper A Relay D is then released to release the clutch and set thebrake for ing head in position 7 of the diagram. Upon engagement withcontact A the motor 40 reverses and, as thetufting head clears themattress, the relay C is again operated to release the longitudinalbrake 44 and throw in the clutch 45 whereby the table is carriedlongitudinally back towards the first indexing position but in the nextcrosswise row of the tufing pattern.

This sequence of operations for displacing the table back and forth andcrosswise between indexing positions continues in the manner described,as controlled by the steppers, until the table is indexed in the uppercorner of the mattress in position 24 with' the stepper on contact A instepper 103. When the microswitch 16 is operated when the tufting headclears the mattress, the table is required. to move first in thecrosswise direction and then in the reverse direction, as controlled bythe steppers. Since these combinations of movements require more timethan heretofore available between the cycles 10 of the tufting head, theclutch of the tufting head is thrown out, as previously described, untilthe table becomes indexed in position 25. The cycle then continues inthe manner described to fill in the positions between the tuftspreviously applied, as indicated by the tufting diagram in Fig. 10.

When the final button tuft is made in the mattress, the tagle is awayfrom home by nine cams in the longitudinal cam plate and one cam in thecrosswise cam plate. When cam 9 is engaged to advance the stepper to Awhereby the table is locked in its indexed position for taking the 39thtuft, operation of the microswitch 16 functions to cut off the power forthe tufting head. Relays C and D are operated and all of the brakes arereleased and relay E is operated to reverse the motor with the resultthat the table wanders longitudinally and crosswise with the clutchesthrown in'back toward starting position, clicking off the steppers asthe cams are engaged until the proper number of steps have been countedoff for return of the table to home indexing position. The table willtake the path shown by the broken lines in the tufting diagram. When thestepper rotor reaches the 1 position in stepper 101, the table will behome and the relays C and D will become inactivated to set the brakesand lock the table in home position.

By way of safety features, there is provided a manual throw-out clutchin the tufting head. The clutch throws out whenever a knot has beenimproperly tied. In accordance with the further practice of thisinvention, a safety microswitch is provided .both in the upper head andin the lower head for actuation by throw-out of the clutch. Thismicroswitch operates relay R which throws out the clutch of the tuftinghead and interrupts the tufting cycleleaving the cycle in the positionin which it was interrupted. Y

Similarly, safety switches are provided for actuation by the needle ofthe tufting head in the event that an obstruction is encountered. Aspreviously described, microswitches 74 also operate similarly to' cutolf the clutch of the tufting head, temporarily to stop operation untilthe defect has been corrected.

When any of the safety switches are activated to stop the tufting cycle,the operator presses the manual button on the pendant which operatesrelay V. This interrupts power to relays C and D placing them in aninactive position in which neither of the brakes or clutches areeffective. The tables can be freely moved in any direction to get at thedifficulty or repair the cord on the tufting head or the like. When itis desired to resume the tufting cycle, the table can be indexedmanually to the position where it left off and automatic operationcontinued in sequence by pressing the automatic button and then theautomatic start button.

When a mattress of lesser width is to be tufted, it is advisable to makeuse of an adjustable end wall for providing the desired spaced relationproperly to seat the mattress on the inner table. When button 106 isdepressed, the stepper contacts from A to A in steppers 103 and 104 willbe cut out by relays S and S as previously described, so that the tablewill skip the last two rows of indexing positions illustrated in thediagram. Under such circumstances, the tufting clutch will be thrown outwhen the table has been indexed to position 18 so as to enable the tableto shift transversely and then longitudinally for travel from position18 directly to position 30 in the tufting diagram. I

It will be apparent from the foregoing that description is made to a newand improved machine for automatically indexing mattresses in positionfor engagement by tufting heads automatically to tuft an entire mattressin a simple and efficient manner with considerable savings in time andlabor and with considerable improvement in the quality of the mattressthat is tufted. It will be apparent that various means are provided foradjusting the location of the tufts that are taken to comply withvarious requirements and patterns in tufting a mattress and that meansare described wherein any predetermined sequence of operations may becarried out to cause a button tufting to take place in a predeterminedpattern and in a predetermined sequence.

The concepts of this invention also embody means whereby the device maybe returned to manual operation for repair and means for discontinuingthe cycle of operationsin the event of error in the operation of themachine or engagement with various types of obstructions.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details ofconstruction, arrangement and operation without departing from thespirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a mattress tufting machine including upper and lower tufting headsfor engagement to tuft a mattress located therebetween, the improvementwhich comprises means for automatically registering the mattressintermittently in a desired sequence of tufting positions between thetufting heads, comprising a rigid frame, an outer table mounted on saidframe for horizontal movement in a longitudinal direction between thetufting heads, an inner mattress supporting frame mounted on the outertable for horizontal movement relative to the outer table and in anopposite direction between the tufting heads, said outer table having anelongate slot extending longitudinally in the direction of movement inalignment with the tufting heads for enabling operation of the headstherethrough to engage the mattress for tufting, driving meansoperatively engaging said outer table and inner frame for displacing theouter table in the longitudinal direction and for displacing the innerframe in the crosswise direction, and means operative intermittentlyupon completion of a tufting cycle for rendering said driving meanseffective for displacing the table and frame members in the direction toposition the mattress in the next of the desired positions registry insequence between the tufting heads.

2. An automatic tufting machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the innerframe member is open at the top and at the bottom for enablingengagement between the tufting heads and the mattress in its variouspositions of registry between the tufting heads.

3. In a tufting machine including upper and lower tufting heads forengagement to tuft a mattress located therebetween in a predeterminedpattern, the improvement which comprises means for automaticallyregistering the mattress in a desired sequence of tufting positionsbetween the tufting heads including a rigid frame, an outer tablemounted on the frame for horizontal shifting movement in thelongitudinal direction, an inner table mounted for horizontal movementrelative to the outer table in a substantially crosswise direction andhaving means for receiving the mattress to be tufted thereon, drivingmeans operatively connected with said outer and inner tables to effectdisplacement thereof in the desired directions when effective, lockingmeans for holding the tables against movement, and means for renderingsaid driving means and locking means elfective and ineffective in asequence of operations responsive to the completion of each tuftingcycle for causing displacement of the tables to predetermined positionsfor registry of the mattress between the tufting heads in the desiredpositions for tufting.

4. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 3 which includes means forlimiting movement of the inner table relative to the outer table betweentwo limit positions.

5. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 3 which includes manuallyoperated means for rendering said driving means and said locking meansineffective to control movements of the tables thereby to enablemovement of said tables in any direction within =limit positions.

6. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 3 which in cludes electricalcontrolling means for rendering said driving means and locking meansselectively effective and ineffective to cause stepwise movements of thetables for positioning the mattress between the tufting heads in'apredetermined sequence of tufting positions.

7. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 6 in which the electricalcontrol means includes stepping switches some of which are connected foroperation of means for rendering said driving means and locking meanseffective and ineffective and means responsive to movement of the tablesfor advancing said stepping switches.

8. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 7 in which the means responsiveto the movement of the tables for advancing said stepping switchescomprises a switch operating member mounted on one of said membersincluding the outer table and supporting frame and a plurality of cammembers mounted in longitudinally spaced apart relation on said othermember with portions thereof lying in the path of the switch operatingmeans for actuation thereof upon engagement, and a connection betweensaid switch operating means and the steppers for advancement thereofupon operation.

9. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 7 in which the means responsiveto movement of the table for advancing said stepping switches includes aswitch means mounted on one of said members including the outer tableand the inner table and cam means mounted on the other in laterallyspaced apart relation with portions thereof in the path of the switchoperating means for effecting operation thereof upon engagement and aconnection between said switch and the steppers for advancement thereofupon operation.

10. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 7 including means forautomatically returning all of the elements including the tables and thestepping switches to starting position.

11. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 8 in which the cam members arerigid with the outer table and located thereon in longitudinally spacedapart relation in alignment with the registry positions of the tables.

12. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 3 which includes means forrendering said driving means ineffective in response to interferencewith the tufting heads during tufting operations.

13. In a tufting machine including upper and lower tufting heads forengagement to tuft a mattress located therebetween in a predeterminedpattern, the improvement which comprises means for automaticallyregistering the mattress in a desired sequence of tufting positionsbetween the tufting heads including a rigid frame, an outer tablemounted on the frame for horizontal shifting movement in thelongitudinal direction, an inner table mounted for horizontal movementrelative to the outer table in a substantially crosswise direction andhaving means for receiving the mattress to be tufted thereon, drivingmeans operatively connected with said outer and inner tables to effectdisplacement thereof in the desired directions when effective, lockingmeans for holding the tables against movement, means for selectivelyrendering said driving means and locking means effective and ineffectivein a sequence of operations for causing displacement of the tables topredetermined positions for registry of the mattress between the tuftingheads in the desired positions for tufting, means responsive tocompletion of a tufting operation for selectively rendering a lockingmeans ineffective and concurrently rendering the corresponding drivingmeans effective for movement'of said tables in a desired direction todisplace the mattress to the next position of registry between thetufting heads before start of the next tufting cycle, and includingmeans responsive to the movement of the tables to the position forregistry of the mattress in its next tufting position for rendering saiddriving means ineffective for movement of the table and concurrentlyrendering said locking means efiective to hold the mattress in theregistered position.

14. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 13 which includes means forlimiting movement of the outer table between two limit positions.

15. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 14 which includes meansresponsive to movement of the table to either of said limit positionsfor rendering said driving means ineifective to cause displacement ofthe tables.

16. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 13 in which the meansresponsive to the completion of the tufting cycle for rendering saiddriving means selectively efiective and said locking means selectivelyinefiective comprises a switch and means operable with the tufting headsfor engagement of the switch when the tufting heads clear the mattress.

17. In combination with a machine for tufting mattresses and likearticles having a tufting mechanism operable to insert a tuft throughthe article, an article supporting table assembly including diversclymovable supports on which the article is movable in diverse directionswith relation to the tufting mechanism for the in- 14 sertion of tuftsin adjacent rows over the length and width of the article, means foractuating the tufting mechanism in a series of tuft insertingoperations, means acting automatically after each tuft insertingoperation for imparting stepped movements to said supports of said tableassembly in said diverse directions from one to an adjacent tuftingposition, and control means for etfecting said successive steppingmovements in accordance with a pattern.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS579,614 Steward et al Mar. 30, 1897 1,605,124 Mathewson Nov. 2, 19261,894,409 Mathewson Jan. 17, 1933 1,979,901 Perlesz Nov. 16, 19342,089,252 Droll et a1 Aug. 10, 1937 2,236,421 Boettcher Mar. 25, 19412,501,240 Schwartz Mar. 21, 1950 2,609,769 Kramer et a1 Sept. 9, 1952

